You will not be surprised to
hear that executives at The People don't seem to be particularly happy
about 'People Push Bottles Up Peaceniks'. I've even heard that they
aren't happy with this website. I was hoping that the paper might apologise -
and admit it was wrong to refuse to print my articles questioning the war. But
executives seem as reluctant to say 'sorry' as the average Labour Minister.

In the Financial Times magazine (August 9th 2003), former acting
editor Alan Edwards claims that he never told me that I could not be anti-war in
my column. I nearly fell off my chair when I read this. The claim raises a
couple of questions which Mr Edwards might like to answer. First, why, then,
does he think I resigned? And second, why did he publish an editorial telling
readers that The People was giving its wholehearted support to 'our boys
in the desert' and warning MPs who had opposed the war that they 'must all now
shut up'. I look forward to hearing his reply.

In the UK Press
Gazette a unnamed spokesman is reported to have said that 'the first time
management knew the reason behind Coleman's resignation was when they read about
it in the Press Gazette'. The only explanation I can think of for this is
that all the faxes I sent were stolen by aliens and that every time I spoke to
editors on the telephone I had dialled the wrong number and was really talking
to Father Christmas.

The spokesman also claimed that I was 'asked not to
mention the war...on one occasion because of the amount of war news elsewhere in
the paper'. On that occasion it was the editors who presumably rang the wrong
number and spoke to Father Christmas.

If you want to know what happened
read my book 'People Push Bottles Up Peaceniks'. You can borrow a copy
from your local public library or potter around on this website to find out how
to get your own copy.